Hydraulic variable speed control



Jan. 10, 1933.

c. H. RoBETs HYDRAULIC VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL Filed Jan. 15, 1930 Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. ROBERTS, OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DELLA f MAE MORRIS, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA HYDRAULIC` VARIABLE SEEED CONTROL Application led January 15, 1930. vSerial No. 420,997.

The object of this invention is to simplify the ily-wheel 11a of the engine constitutes one greatly, both in construction and operation, side of the housing 11, and it has teeth 14 means for transmitting power from the crank employed for starting the engine. The drivshaft of a gas engine or other driving meming shaft has an integral plate 15 which is 5 ber to a driven shaft through controlled hysecured by bolts 16 to the fly-wheel 11a of 55 draulic means which readily enables the drivhousing 11, as shown. Therefore, the housen shaft to be operated at any variable speed, ing serves as a flywheel and rotates with the or stopped or locked for high speed, as dedriving shaft. Y sired. On the rear side of the housing 11 is a plate l@ This mechanism .is a simple and single 11b secured by bolts 17 and a packing ring 60 means as a substitute for the complicated 18, so as to be fluid-tight. The driven shaft clutch and change speed gearing used in auto- 13 operates in and carries a sleeve 2O that exmobiles and the like. It connects or discontends through the threaded extension 21 of nects the driven shaft from the driving shaft the side 11b of the housing 11, and is held 15 and enables the slightest variation in speed therein by a ring nut 22. The inner end of 65 to be employed, and thus is superior to the said sleeve is internally threaded to rechange speed mechanism heretofore emceive asimilar ring nut 23. ployed which has been limited to two,three or Suitable packing is provided whereby no four speeds. Furthermore, since it is hydraufluid can escape from the housing along said 20 lic, the'mechanism is freed from the posisleeve 20. The extreme inner end of shaft 13 70 V tive, jerking or breaking movement of the is mounted in a ball-bearing 24 in the housing old type of mechanism employed for this puror ily-wheel 11a and the driven shaft and se, housing are held from relative lateral move- In other words the hydraulic variable speed ment by a cross bar 25 which at its ends is 5 control both clutches the driving and driven secured to the cylindrical wall of the housing 75 shafts together and changes the speed to any 11 and the thrust bearing ring at the'middle desired degree, and this change may be as is adjacent to one of the eccentrics 26, as gradual as desired so that the mechanism will shown. not be subjected to any shocks or undue The driven shaft has near its inner end a 20 strains. pair of oppositely extending eccentrics, pref- 80 The full nature of the invention will be erably integral therewith, each surrounded understood from the accompanying drawing by a strap 27 that is secured to a piston rod and the following description and claims: 28 of the piston 29. The pistons operate in In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of cylinders 80 which are integral with a.l con- J the right hand side of the device as shown in necting plate 130 secured in the housing 11 85 Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an enlarged substantially and preferably to the fly-wheel side 11a therecentral section of the mechanism on the line of by the bolts 16. 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section The pair of pistons are h'eld in true radial of a part of the mechanism on the line 3--3 0f alignment with the cylinders by the cross 49 Fig. 2. bar 25 and the driving shaft 1() as shown. 90

Thereis shown herein means for illustrate lThe pair of pistons simultaneously move raing the general nature of this invention that dially outward and'inward and transmit the is adapted for transmission means in autO- rotary movement ofthe housing 11 to .the

y mobiles and the like. .There is a crank shaft driven shaft 13 when the movement of the J 10, a hollow driving housing 11 to contaln pistons is resisted bythe oil or fluid 12. 95 oil or other iiuid 12, and a driven shaft 13 The device is arranged so that the pistons which extends centrally into said housing and do not reach the outer ends of the cylinders coaxially with the driving shaft. In automobut leave a fluid chamber 30a therein which biles the driven shaft 13 transmits power to communicates'through the reduced conduit 50 the rear axle, notl shown. In the form shown 31 with a chamber in theI housing 11 and it is controlled by a valve The valve he ma y as shown in Fig', 3 tapering in and fittingVA in a valvehousing` The val es 32 are turned on and otl by reciproeation ot the sleeve 20 through the toggle connecting bars 25S and 3T.

The. bars 37 are pivoted to ears 38 on the sleeve 20 and the adjacent ends of the bars 36 and 3T are connected by links 39 with ears 40 on the Cylinders 30. The arrangement is such that When the sleeve 20 is Jforced inward the valves are simultaneously opened and when it is moved outward they are moved to a Closed or partially closed position. This movement is effected through the rod 140 and crank lel secured thereto which is biiurcated and projectsinto the annular groove in the outer end of the sleeve 20. Y

The i ves are held in their seats by springs e2 as shown in Fig. and these springs are held under tension by the nuts t.

It is obvious from the foregoingdescription of the construction that after the engine is started and the housing ll is rotated, and the valves are open, no power Will be trans mitted to the shaft 13 for propelling the automobile.

in use the housing ll is nearly halt' Filled with oil or other fluid, as shown in Fig. iihen the engine is started and the housinnr ll rotates. the fluid l2 is centriugally driven out away `from the Center to thel periphery of the chamber, and therefore the chambers 30a in 'the outer ends ot the Cylinders are tinll`o'r oil as well as 'the passagevlays 3l ti eghevalves.

.A parts are as shown in Fig. 2, when the oil is at the periphery atter the engine has been started, no appreciable power will he transmitted from the driving shaft or housin, i the driven shaft i3.

To start the automobile the operator slightly turns the rod 140 so as to move the sleeve 2O outward or rearward and partially close the passageways 3l from the Chamber in the housing to the outer ends ot the cylinders.

hs the resistance to the escape ,of the oil from the rylinders into the housingichamher I increases hy the Closing movement or" 'the valves. power will he transmitted throng-h th pistons to the shatt lf3 and it will start sion fis the valves are further moved `the speed of the shaft 13 will increase until the valves are entirely Closed. and then the shaft 13 will operate at high speed.

By a slow movement of the valves the speed may be very gradually vincreased diminished and any speed belonhifrh may he attained by partially Cosi. valves and leaving them l hus the i "es can be adjusted readily to attain any des red speed and the saine is not limited to tivo or threey or Pour speed changes.

TWhile the invention is shown conne@- tion with use for driving an automobile, it is not limited to alar use it capable oi automobiles.

.g L ,.n. Ey driving meint/er in tno eiaims is meant the housing' l1 having a chamber in it, "f

l. Hydraulic variable speed control including a. drive shaft, a driven shaft, a rotary fluid-tight housing in which the driven shaft extends and is mounted coaxially, a chamber in said honsin integral radially disposed cylinders detacnably secured in and to said housing with chambers in their outer ends communicating With the ehamloer in said housing nistons in said l' ders, eeeentries on the driven shaft, eenv .trie straps, piston reds Connecting ips l tons, rotary valves for controlling the communication between the chamber of the housing and the Chambers in the outer ends or" the oylin ders, a sleeve slidahle on said driven shaft and having its inner end extending into the housing, external means for moving; said sleeve, a crank on each valve and toggle hors pivotally mounted on s id cylinders' connecting said eranls with said sleeve which open the valves when the sleeve is moved in one direction eloso 'the same en it if moved in the opposite direction.

Hydraulic variable speed control inA oluding driv 1 shaft, a, driven sha-tt. a ro- 1 "i" 1 nonsing ne driven shaft extends and is mounted eoaXially with the drive shaft, a chamber in housing radially disposed cylinders, a connecting plate integral with said Cylinders that is secured in and te said housing said cylinders having` chambers in tnt, outer ends comn municating with the Chamber in said lions#n ing. eecentrics on the driven shaft, pistons in said cylinders, piston rods and eecentrio straps connecting1 said pistons and eceentrics, valve housings integral with the outer end ot said cylinders with passages from the Phamhers in eyiinders to the chamber in the housing, rotary v for Contr passages. ere .ve slidahle on th driven sha E? and enter 

